Solutions | Voices Q A Distributor Asks: I am a one-person shop and looking for an at-aglance solution so I can see where each client is at in the process. I’m juggling about 60-plus clients at a time. I’m worried about the quality of service decreasing. What do you use to keep track of your orders and where they are in the pipeline? I recommend Zoho CRM. They’re the most affordable and most effective for us. We’ve tried ActiveCampaign, HubSpot, etc., and they didn’t work out. We can customize Zoho for our needs, and if you take Zoho One, there is a whole load of apps you can use for your business. It has a Kanban-style interface as well. Alternatively, you can use ClickUp as a CRM for free. It has a Kanban-style view as well. SWADESH PADHI Marketing Ambassador ForestNation Louisville, Tennessee PPAI 793582, S1 I second Zoho One. It has a projects section you can customize. Nothing beats keeping all your client info in one app. It’s what I used when I had the distributor business, and it allowed me to be very efficient. Now in my agency, I continue to use Zoho and also ClickUp to manage our freelance writers. It’s a good system and could work, too, but with Zoho, you have all the emails, projects and other history on each client’s record. GLORIA LAFONT Owner Action Promo Plantation, Florida PPAI 656637, D1 In addition to the proprietary order management system we use, I’ve also been using SAGE project management platform to track things like proofs and shipping that automatically send out to the client and the before-order tasks. DAWN MARIE PERKINS Owner Spotlight Print & Promo Solutions Merrimack, New Hampshire PPAI 693324, D1 Q A Distributor Asks: We had an employee who used to work for us about four years ago but quit and started her own promo business, taking customers with her. Today, I received a confirmation email from a supplier on an order that I didn’t place. After investigating, I found out that she ordered this item and told the company to search for a repeat order under my company name. How would you handle this? If everything has been settled, then you could make her aware that you got the confirmation. Or you can just ignore it. AARON SALTZMAN Owner Silver Line Promotions Southfield, Michigan PPAI 486015, D2 I would call the supplier and cancel the order. Let them know the order was placed without your knowledge and the person who placed the order does not have permission to use the artwork. KATHIE HOUSTON Owner Houston Promotions Enid, Oklahoma PPAI 520320, D2 First, you tell the vendor it is not your order and you didn’t approve the order, and if you don’t approve of her accessing the previous order, then you let the vendor know. Most cases the vendor won’t let the new company process as a reorder. DAWN KUHSE Owner APP Imprints Woburn, Massachusetts PPAI 486015, D3 Look for CRM software email client * * PPAI • JUNE 2023 • 33
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